Gerrit Cole’s most recent visit to Minute Maid Park carried the disappointment of seeing his Astros fall in Game 6 of the World Series against the Nationals, but also the anticipation of a foray onto the open market: one that would result in a $324 million Yankees contract, the richest deal ever issued to a free-agent pitcher.

As Cole returned to the big Houston ballpark on Friday, he said there was “a bit of nostalgia” for his two seasons with the Astros, yet made it clear that his focus is on the here and now: most notably, an upcoming start on Saturday in which the All-Star aims to regain his footing after a pair of rocky outings.

“It was good to see the staff here; I’ve caught up with pretty much everybody at this point,” Cole said. “I did a little conditioning on the field. I’m doing my usual lay of the land, getting comfortable with the visiting bullpen and getting ready for my start [Saturday].”

It is an important one. In his previous two starts against the Red Sox and Mets, Cole has been knocked for 10 runs (nine earned) and 14 hits in 8 1/3 innings.

Cole and the Yankees have downplayed the connection between the ace’s swoon and Major League Baseball’s crackdown on pitchers’ use of sticky substances, which officially began June 22. Since then, Cole’s ERA is 6.46, compared to 2.31 before that date.

• FAQ: Sticky stuff and new rule enforcement

“Execution is what we’ve honed in on this week, really getting the ball into the quadrants that we’re trying to execute so we can make the strike zone look bigger,” Cole said. “That’ll make people change their swing a little bit and put pressure on different parts of the zone.”

Asked if he has lost any confidence in the past couple of weeks, Cole replied, “I don’t think so.”

Cole was an All-Star in both of his seasons with the Astros (2018-19), coinciding with his embrace of a four-seam fastball at the top of the strike zone instead of a sinking two-seamer. In 65 regular-season starts with Houston, Cole was 35-10 with a 2.68 ERA. He said he hopes for a good reception from the home crowd.

“We had a couple of good seasons together and obviously didn’t achieve our ultimate goal,” Cole said. “But there was a lot of hard work, and I made a lot of friends in the community.”

Cole said he should be available to pitch in the All-Star Game, to be played on Tuesday at Denver’s Coors Field, though his focus is on Saturday’s outing.

• MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard: Tuesday on FOX

“It’s an important start to close the book on the first half,” Cole said.

‘Fueling our future’
The Yankees announced Friday the launch of the Fueling Our Future initiative in partnership with Nike and Dream (formerly known as Harlem RBI). The youth community initiative will target underserved communities with a focus on the Bronx, providing local young people with health and wellness skills for excelling in the classroom, on the field and in their daily lives.

The program will serve 42 seventh- and eighth-grade students from DREAM Charter School, offering five weekly virtual seminars with Yankees employees who are experts in their respective fields, as students will receive guidance on mental health, physical fitness, and healthy eating and food choices.

“It is a great honor for the Yankees to begin the positive work of the Fueling Our Future initiative,” said Brian Smith, the Yankees’ senior vice president of community relations. “As young people grow to become adults who will shape our society, they are faced with countless influences and choices.

“We have the in-house resources to provide education on core aspects of personal growth and maintenance, and we gladly take this opportunity to reinforce healthy decision making for those in our community who need it most.”

This date in Yankees history
July 9, 2011: Derek Jeter became the 28th player to record 3,000 hits, accomplishing the feat with a third-inning homer off the Rays’ David Price.

Jeter’s milestone came as part of a 5-for-5 day in which he drove home the winning run in a 5-4 Yankees victory. He remarked that day: “If you bought this as a script, even I wouldn’t have bought it.”